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Courtesy ReadingPals with United Way of Central Florida | Reading Pals
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3-minute read
Nearly 60% of Polk County kindergarten students enter elementary school lacking essential literacy and social-emotional skills like sharing, taking turns and managing frustration.
ReadingPals, a state-wide early literacy program that pairs trained volunteers with students from Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) to third grade, is helping to change that.
The program offers a simple solution: one consistent adult, one hour a week, making a measurable difference. It helps children build vocabulary, foster trust and develop early reading habits.
United Way of Central Florida’s program focuses on children in kindergarten, to intervene early.
“If they don’t catch up, they fall further behind — and the older they get, the harder it is to intervene,” said Pamela Craven, a ReadingPals volunteer and longtime leader at the Learning Resource Center.
An ambitious goal: For the 2025-26 school year, ReadingPals hopes to serve 492 students across 17 Polk County elementary schools, including seven in Lakeland. But it needs 246 volunteers to do that.
How it works
Each Reading Pals volunteer does two back-to-back, 30-minute reading sessions weekly under the supervision of classroom teachers or program trainers.
Sessions use themed books, vocabulary cards and guided questions to support comprehension and emotional development. Volunteers use discussion prompts and activities to help kids connect with the stories they read, a mix of fiction and nonfiction.
Training is provided: “We don’t expect volunteers to teach kids to read. We ask them to be present, to show up, and to care,” said Craven, who formally trained Reading Pal cohorts.
Volunteers do not need prior experience, but they do need to pass a Level 1 background check — costing $25, with the rest offset by the district.
Courtesy ReadingPals with United Way of Central Florida
What volunteers say
Merissa Green, a longtime ReadingPals volunteer and community book club founder, says the one-on-one time helps students feel seen and appreciated.
“I celebrate their small wins,” she says. “When they answer correctly, I make a big deal out of it. You see their confidence grow.”
Green says she builds trust through consistency and sometimes reads to the whole class just so no one feels left out.
Filling a gap: Troy C. Smith, a retired GEICO sales manager and leadership coach, says he volunteers to fill a critical gap.
“As a Black male, I didn’t have role models like this growing up. Now I get to be the presence I never saw,” he said.
Smith meets weekly with students, building vocabulary and emotional skills. He stresses the need for more male volunteers. “When a man shows up with patience, empathy, and love,” he says, “it fills a gap that they may not have words for.”
“Just jump in,” said Smith. “It might feel new at first, but within minutes you’re right where you’re meant to be.”
Some employers, including the city of Lakeland, the Bank of Central Florida and CPS Investment Advisors allow employees to volunteer during the work week.
Participating schools, 2025-26
Alta Vista Elementary, Haines City
Boswell Elementary, Auburndale
Crystal Lake Elementary, Lakeland
Dixieland Elementary, Lakeland
Elbert Elementary, Winter Haven
Highland City Elementary, Highland City
Jesse Keen Elementary, Lakeland
Lake Alfred Elementary, Lake Alfred
Lewis Elementary, Fort Meade
Mi Escuela Montessori, Lakeland
Padgett Elementary, Lakeland
Philip O’Brien Elementary, Lakeland
Purcell Elementary, Mulberry
Southwest Elementary, Lakeland
Spook Hill Elementary, Lake Wales
Stephens Academy, Bartow
Willow Oak Elementary, Mulberry
Insight Polk examines community conditions and solutions in six target areas from UCIndicators.org: economic & employment opportunity, education, housing, food security, transportation & infrastructure, and quality of life.
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting is made possible by the United Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Kayla Borg is a Lakeland native and graduate of Western Carolina University, where she earned her degree in English and film production. She began her media career in Atlanta at CNN, quickly rising from production assistant editor to technical director/editor, leading live broadcasts alongside field reporters. Since then, she’s worked in education, instructional design and independent filmmaking.
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